For Good
by Akisuke101
Summary: Isabella Rivers comes from a family of witches with cursed blood. After being left as a baby with trusted friends of her parents, she is trained in the art of hunting and also witchcraft. Now she must find a way to break the curse or she will be doomed to the same fate as her entire family.
1. Chapter 1

The gunshot rang through the air so loud that a flock of birds in a nearby tree cawed and took off into the sky. Thunder rumbled as if responding to the sound, and dark gray clouds blocked out the sun.

"Damn," Bella said under her breath. Her eyes squinted, just able to make out the small hole next to the head on the distant target. Pushing her deep brown curls out of the way, she aimed once more and held her wrist slightly to give herself a better shot. The gun sounded again, but this time she hit the target right between the eyes.

A small smile crept onto her face.

"That's more like it," she said. There were plenty of holes in the abdomen of the dummy, she could hit the target, but she was more concerned with killing it from a distance.

"Bella!" a woman's voice called from the house behind her. Standing on the back porch was Sheila, a stout older woman with graying brown hair and bright green eyes. She was one of her caretakers. "I've got some lunch ready, why don't you come on in and grab some?"

The girl in question clicked the safety on the pistol and hustled up the small hill the to the house. A couple of rain drops landed on the t-shirt she was wearing so she picked up the pace.

"Looks like a bad storm is coming," Bella commented, hiking up the porch steps until her bare feet touched the aging wood.

"Mmhmm." Sheila's eyes locked on the girl's feet. Bella stopped walking immediately, a sheepish smile creeping onto her face. It was no secret Bella liked to be barefoot a lot when she was home, but Sheila didn't appreciate having to clean up dirty footprints all over the place. The girl made her way over to the place mat just outside the back door and dusted off her feet to the best of her abilities. "I swear sometimes I wonder if you were raised in a barn."

"Aw, come on Sheila. I've been doing my best to keep the dirt of the floor," Bella said, following her inside.

"You are 22 years old, I thought that little habit of yours would end once you stopped being a teenager."

"Nope, sorry."

Sheila rolled her eyes she entered the kitchen. Sitting at the dining room table, just on the other side of the kitchen, was Sheila's husband Laurence. His head recently shaved by his wife and and brown eyes locked on the the shotgun he was polishing.

"You clean your feet little one?" he asked, not even bothering to look up.

"Yes, sir," Bella answered, settling down into the chair across from him where a medium sized, leather bound book sat.

"Your shot still good?"

"Yes, sir," she repeated, opening up the book to the page she had been on. Laurence made a sort of grunt, as if to acknowledge her statement.

"I think you need to stop giving her gun time," Sheila said as she entered the room. She placed a few plates down and ignored Bella's devastated look. "She needs to be practicing her craft more."

"Sheila dear-"

"But I have been practicing! Look," Bella gazed around the room until she spotted a wilting plant. She uttered a small phrase in Latin and within seconds the plant picked itself up, completely blooming.

Sheila didn't seem as impressed as Laurence, "That's a nice parlor trick dear."

"I think that's pretty nifty," Laurence said gruffly as he cleaned the inside of the shotgun.

"It's nice for gardening but what are you going to do when a demon attacks you? Things ain't been the same since those damn Winchester boys opened that Hell Gate."

"I'm sure they were only doing what they thought was right-" Bella tried. Sheila held up a hand. Bella heard enough about the Winchesters from Sheila on an almost weekly basis, but she still didn't think they were all that bad. She knew them when she was younger, when John used to stay with them on hunts. It was a different time though. They had all been younger then.

"I've heard all about the way those boys hunt from Bobby Singer," Sheila left the room once more only to come back with a plate full of sandwiches. "They are reckless and too codependent for their own good. I swear, whatever John did to those boys made them into mindless soldiers."

Bella didn't bother arguing with Sheila. She'd learned over the years that the woman was as stubborn as an ox and once she set her mind about something, it was difficult to change it.

"I'm sure they're just fine," Laurence said, stopping his current task to take a giant bite out of one of his wife's sandwiches. "But not as fine as these sandwiches."

Bella smiled up at the older man, thankful that he changed the subject. Sheila didn't try to pursue the conversation, sitting down next to her husband.

"They are pretty good," Bella said, biting her own sandwich. A light 'meow' called her attention to the floor just as a cat jumped onto her lap. "Oh! Hey there Asher," Bella said with a smile. Asher, her familiar, was a medium sized domestic cat mixed with two exotic breed. His was an orange-ish tint with black stripes and his eyes were a bright yellow-green.

"That cat has been outside all day, watchin' you from the trees," Laurence said. He wasn't a big fan of Asher, mostly because he was allergic to cats and used that as an excuse to not have any. Unfortunately for him, Asher's breed was hypoallergenic. "Damn thing is like a monkey the way it jumps around," he mumbled.

"Well, that is what familiars do," Bella said. She scratched under his chin and received a purr-like sound in return. She set him down on the floor and said, "No table scraps for you mister." The cat looked up at her, understanding every word she was saying and sneezed in response before leaving the room.

"Damn cats…" Laurence mumbled. "Don't see why I can't have my dog."

"We have had this argument ever since Asher came into the picture Laurence. No. We can't have that kind of responsibility-"

"But-"

"No," Sheila said with finality. Her husband's expression dropped, almost as though he were a child, and Bella almost laughed.

"Anyways," Bella said. "Any jobs?"

"Not recently. The last monster to walk through this area was that werewolf a week or so ago. Nothin' since then."

"Nothing on a… Bigger scale?" Bella said nonchalantly, chewing the chunk of sandwich that was in her mouth. Sheila's and Laurence's eyes fell on her and she almost immediately regretted asking the question. Most of the hunts Bella went on were local, within driving distance of their home. It was rare she traveled to other states, and when she did, it was with usually with Laurence. In that case her job revolved around research for the hunt. Other than that though, she didn't really do a lot of killing monsters.

"No," Sheila said, trying to drop the subject.

"You sure? I mean, I could use the practice-"

"No," Sheila said once more.

"Well, I dunno, I think I heard of a Siren over in Ohio-" Laurence tried.

The look Sheila shot him shut him up immediately and said, "She's not ready. Maybe in a couple more months when she's practiced her craft more. But not now."

"Not even if you guys came with me? I wouldn't mind."

"Bella," Sheila warned.

Before the girl could fight for her cause, an old western ringtone chimed from her pocket, vibrating wildly.

"Excuse me," Bella said, pushing away from the table and leaving her seat. She stuck her hand into the pocket of her jean shorts and fished out her phone. "Hold on," she said into the phone. Bella crossed the living room and walked outside onto the front porch. When the door was closed completely she finally put the phone into her ear. "Alright."

"Hello darlin'…" a breathy voice said from the other end.

"Kate?" she questioned, "You alright? You sound like you've been running a marathon…"

"Somethin' like that," she said. "Came across some hunters."

Bella immediately became concerned, "Kate… What did you do?"

"Nothin' you're thinkin' of. They think I'm someone else."

"Like who?"

"There's a bad man 'round here. He's been snatchin' up young girls and turnin' them into vamps. I was trying to hunt him down ma-self to help out the hunters that might have caught wind of him but… They seem to think it's me."

"Where are you?" Bella asked, pulling out the pen she'd been using for notes earlier and holding her palm open.

"Maine," she breathed, "Trenton, Maine."

"Give me a few hours. Make sure you stay out of sight and away from the hunters. I'll call you when I get there."

"Already ahead of you dear."

Bella ended the call and watched as the steady rain turned into a downpour, hoping her friend would remain safe until she got there.

* * *

Sneaking out of the house wasn't something that was completely foreign to Bella. Usually it was just to walk around in the woods, help develop her senses or practice some magic. But now she was tip toeing out the door with her spellbook in her lightly packed satchel with Asher at her heels. She never went anywhere without him.

The rain was still coming down when she walked through the front door and down to the garage where her old Pontiac GTO sat patiently. She bit her lip as she slowly eased the door open, Asher jumping in elegantly and sitting in the passenger seat, his collar making a slight tinkling sound as his tag bounced around. Bella pulled herself in and stopped herself before she put the keys in the ignition.

She considered the amount of noise the old muscle car would make if she turned it on and decided against it. Instead she placed the key in the ignition, hearing the steady beep of the car telling her it wasn't actually on, and put it in neutral. Bella climbed outside of the car, went around the front and pushed it enough so that it started to roll down the hill. Rushing back in, she guided the machinery until it was a good distance from the house and turned it on. The roar of the engine scared her, but she was pretty sure that the sound wouldn't carry. Or at least she hoped it wouldn't.

Slowly but surely she turned the car around and made her way towards Maine. She typed the directions from Vermont to Maine into her phone's GPS, and when she saw the 5 hours on the screen she let out a sigh.

"Just hold on Kate," Bella whispered, grip tightening on the wheel.

Asher watched the road with her for the first hour and a half before he let out a yawn and moved to her lap where he curled up into a ball. Bella tried not to think about how tired she'd be and instead focused on the music playing softly from her iPod. She thought about Kate not making it through the night and her foot pressed on the gas a little harder. She wasn't going to let that happen.

* * *

"Come on Kate. Pick up," Bella said into the phone, eyes on the light she was stopped at. It was about the third time she'd called her three times already and no answer. She sunk into her leather seats and let out a small groan as she listened to the ringing. "Please answer."

The ringing stopped and there was a rustling sound.

"Bella?" Kate whispered into the phone.

"Kate! Oh God I thought they got you. Where-"

"Shh… I'm in the warehouse just…" There was a small pause and a loud bang.

"Kate?"

Silence.

It was a few more seconds before Kate spoke again, "I'm in the Radford warehouse… It's next to the… Gosh darnit… It's…" Bella's heartbeat sped up the longer she listened to Kate's frantic whispers. Kate managed to say something like, "By the harbor," before the line went dead.

"Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!" Bella shouted, exiting the the call screen before going back to her GPS and typing 'Radford warehouse' into it. About five different areas came up but she zeroed in on the one closest to her and the harbor, praying that it was the right one.

It only took five minutes to get there but to Bella that could have been five minutes too late. She parked the car outside of the back entrance, Asher climbing out behind her before she could protest. He sniffed the air as Bella pulled her shotgun from the trunk, placing the strap over her head and sticking an extra knife in her boot just in case. As a last minute decision she grabbed a flask of holy water and stuffed it into her pocket.

Bella and Asher took off toward the warehouse, checking the doors carefully. They came across one that had been broken open, and when she opened it Asher shot in. She didn't call after for him, and instead watched as he paused, sniffed, and then took off again like a bat outta hell. Bella followed behind closely but checked every corner before advancing. At one point she lost him completely.

Bella tried to sense him telepathically, but nothing. She cursed under her breath and held the weapon as she walked, keeping an eye out for the hunters or, even better, Kate.

She stopped moving momentarily to get a better sense of her surroundings. It was dark, save for the occasional light here and there in the hallways, and there was no sound. For moment she thought she'd gotten the wrong warehouse but a collection of loud banging echoed through the halls and Bella shot in the direction she thought it came from.

She pushed through a pair of doors gently, still on guard. It was a much larger room and within seconds she spotted the source of the commotion. A pile of metal poles of some sort had been disturbed and many of them were scattered on the floor, but there was no sign of a living creature.

Bella looked around once more, eyes even grazing the second floor. Nothing. She didn't lower her gun though.

"Where the hell are you…" she whispered absently.

A cool piece of metal pressed against the back of her head. "Looking for someone?" a man's voice questioned. He unclicked the safety and said, "Put the gun on the floor."

Bella clenched her jaw and did as she was told, slowly pulling the strap over her head and kneeling to put the weapon onto the floor. She held up her hands once she had straightened up again.

"Kick it away," the voice demanded. She kicked the gun across the room only for it to be picked up by another man. He wasextremely tall with medium length brown hair and a sort of baby face. He held the shotgun up and pointed it straight at her. "Good. Now, who are you?"

Bella watched the other man carefully but answered, "I'm a hunter. I've been after a vamp in this area."

"I haven't seen you around," the man behind her said skeptically.

"I tend to be rather discreet when I work."

The gun pressed harder against her head.

"Name," the tall one said. Bella watched him carefully, and a part of her found him…

Asher appeared from nowhere behind the tall one. He pranced over and wound himself around the man's legs, his purring loud.

"What the-?" the tall one managed.

"Is that a cat?" the one behind her asked.

_She's gone_, Asher's voice rang in Bella's head. Relief washed over her, happy to hear Kate was no longer in danger. Asher continued purring until he finally said, _Winchesters_.

Her eyes widened, automatically locking on the features of the tall one.

"Sam?" she asked. The man's head looked from the cat to Bella.

"Do I know you?" he asked, a confused expression on his face. Bella turned around to look at the person holding her at gunpoint.

"Dean?" she asked, a small smile on her face. He was a bit shorter than Sam, but still much taller than Bella. His green eyes searching her brown ones for some sort of recognition.

Asher bounded over to rub against him too but Dean jumped back, making the cat 'meow'.

"Who…" Dean started, but stopped midway. "Bells?"

She smiled at his recognition of her.

"Wait, 'Bells'? As in Bella Rivers?" Sam's voice said from behind her.

"That's right," she said. Asher leapt into her arms as she looked to them both. "It's been awhile boys."


	2. Chapter 2

"Thanks again for paying for my room," Bella said, shutting the door to her car after removing her cross bag and Asher from their place in the front seat. Dean and Sam slammed the doors to their beautiful '67 Impala, carrying bags of their own. The motel they had checked into looked old and musty but, as a hunter, it really didn't get better than that on the road.

"No problem," Dean said. "We've still got a couple hundred grand saved up from our last job." He shot his brother an amused look but Sam simply rolled his eyes. Dean approached the door to their room and slid the keycard, twisting the door handle when the device beeped and turned moment the door opened, Asher shot in and jumped onto one of the beds. Dean looked back to Bella with an unamused expression.

"Asher, get off the bed! This isn't our room," Bella said, the cat ignoring her completely. She gave a small sigh and entered after the boys, closing the door behind them.

"That one's yours," Dean informed Sam, moving across the room and dropping his duffel bag on the bed without Asher on it. Sam rolled his eyes once again but put his bag down next to Asher, rubbing his head. "What's the deal with the cat anyways? I don't remember you having it the last time we visited you."

"He's my-" she started but stopped herself before saying more. A lot of hunters didn't accept witchcraft like Sheila and Laurence, and she had a strong feeling that the Winchesters brothers didn't believe in 'good monsters'. Thinking herself as a monster sort of hurt, but the fact of the matter was, there weren't enough good witches for hunters to make a different call about them. "He's just my cat. Sheila gave him to me as a present for my 18th birthday. Figured I'd need a companion when I went hunting," she lied.

Dean scoffed, "A cat as a companion?"

Bella raised an eyebrow as she sat down next to Asher, "Yeah? What's wrong with that?" She spotted Sam out of the corner of her eye with an amused expression on his face.

"I," he started, trying to find the right words. "Well, when I think of 'companions', a dog is usually the first thing that comes to mind. You can train them to sit, stay, attack-"

"Asher," Bella said. The cat's ears picked up, and his eyes locked on the girl. "Sit please?" she asked. He picked himself up, arched his back, and sat down next to her. "Thank you sweetheart," she scratched between his ears and he sunk back into a big ball of fur. Sam let out a small laugh and Dean glared at them.

"I'd say he's as good as any dog," she said.

"He's about as big as one," Sam commented. "Is he that domestic cat with the Serval and a leopard cat genes?"

Bella smiled, "Yes he is."

"They're extremely expensive."

"True, but I don't know how exactly Sheila went about getting him," she shrugged.

"Interesting," Sam said. "They're hypoallergenic too." His eyes fell onto his older brother who had turned from the conversation and begun shuffling through his bag. "That means you're not allergic to them, Dean."

"Yeah, whatever," he mumbled. Bella smiled slightly to herself and rose from the bed, taking the large cat into her arms. A loud meow left him, as though he was protesting.

"Well, I'm going to go settle into my room. I'll be back in a few to help track down that vamp that got away," she said. "Still sorry about that."

"It's alright, I'm sure they'll turn up again," Sam said. Dean made a sort of grunt from the other side of the room and Bella smiled.

"I'm sure it will," she said, leaving their room and going next door to her own. She slid the keycard in the door and opened it. Bella walked in, placed her cat down on the floor and closed the door behind her, taking in everything. The room had that musty motel smell, and was rather simple with its one bed, a television set, a little coffee table, lamps, bathroom, and a little fridge by the bed. She had only stayed in motels a few times when she went on out of state trips with Laurence, but she wasn't used to being on her own with one. Granted, the Winchesters were right through the connecting door in the room, but still.

The girl placed her satchel onto the table after closing the door, and pulled her phone from her pocket. She dialed Kate's number and waited anxiously for her to answer.

"Hello darlin'," the voice said through the phone.

"Oh thank goodness," Bella said, relieved.

"Glad to see somebody is concerned about my wellbein'," Kate said. She sounded a lot better than their last two conversations.

"You're my friend Kate, you should know I'm _always_ worried about you."

"O'course, I just like the reminders. Been alone far too long," Kate said. Bella felt a twinge of sadness at the tone of her friend's voice. "Anyway," she changed the topic quickly. "The vamp you're lookin' for has been lurkin' around a club called _Spider_. I'm headed there now."

"Kate," Bella said. "You just _barely_ escaped the Winchesters-"

"No worries, they didn't see my face."

"Kate-"

"I'm just doin' some... Field work for ya'll. I won't get in the way," Kate reassured her. "Unless I get an openin'."

Bella let out a sigh, tapping her nails lightly on the table. "This vamp's head belongs to the Winchesters," she insisted.

"I've heard they've got a history of messin' up."

"Kate," Bella said. A deep sigh left the girl on the other end of the line.

"If this guy gets away-"

"He won't. Especially if the boys have us, right?"

There was a small pause on the other end before Kate answered, "Yer damn right."

"Good," Bella said with a smile. "Text me if you find anything."

"Will do," Kate said, ending the conversation. Bella placed the phone down on the table and let out a sigh, running her hands over her face. She took her satchel from the table and placed it onto the bed, pulling out all of its contents. She slid her grimoire out and placed it on the bed next to her laptop and Asher, who moved so his head was resting on it. Bella checked the time: 3:12 A.M. The witching hour. She bit her lower lip and thought about what she wanted to do.

If the vampire knew that the boys were onto him, he probably wouldn't return to the same club he was taking his victims from. But then again, vampires tended to be creatures of habit. If it worked for him once, he might not _care_ about a couple of hunters.

With an idea in mind, Bella crossed the room and opened the front door, approaching the trunk of her car. She opened it, shuffling around until she found the things she needed: a couple of used candles and a black bowl. She rushed back inside before the boys could spot her, closed the door and made sure the connecting door was locked as well.

The 3 candles were a lilac color, drops of wax frozen along the sides. She considered the placement of them before setting them down in a semicircle and then moving to the bathroom. She filled the bowl about halfway, setting it in the middle of the candles before sitting criss cross. Bella took in a few deep breaths, and after she was calm, she leaned over and pinched the wick of the first candle gently. A flame appeared, small at first, and then started to burned brighter. She did the same to the other two and then sunk into a meditation.

Scrying took a deep amount of concentration, and it was only recently, after a lot of practice, she was able to focus so intensely. Bella thought about the vampire, the club, and the need to save the next victim he was going to kidnap. She _wanted_ to save them, so she used that to propel her scrying.

Opening her eyes, she gazed into the water and focused on the surface, trying to see something. At first nothing happened, but after a few seconds the water started to shift and swirl. Bella focused intensely on the changing water, trying to make out something. A flash of what she thought was a bloodshot eye crossed the surface, and then a deep red color.

A loud ringtone startled her, shattering her concentration. She shook her head, rubbing her hands over her face for a moment before she snatched her phone from the bed. It was Kate.

"Hello?"

"He's here right now. I suggest you get a move on because I think he's found another girl," she said in a sort of whisper.

"What?"

"Club Spider? Come on now! Grab your boys and get on!" Kate said, ending the phone call.

"Dammit," Bella said. She leaned forward, blew out the candles and rushed the bowl to the sink so she could dump it. "Asher! Come." The cat's head picked up, and as she knocked on the door joining her room to the Winchesters, he stretched and jumped down to join her. Sam was the one who opened the door.

"The vamp you're looking for is at club Spider right now," she said.

"What?" Dean asked, coming into view.

"How do you know that?" Sam added.

"A friend of mine spotted him, and she thinks he's on the verge of taking another victim."

Dean looked her over for a moment, as if he was contemplating whether to truly trust her or not. Bella didn't blame him, they'd been kids the last time John Winchester dropped by. She held until he ultimately grabbed his over shirt and said, "Let's go."

* * *

"Anything?" Dean asked, emerging from the front doors and joining Bella and Sam on the sidewalk. They both shook their heads, and he let out a sigh. "Well this was a big, fat waste of time. I thought your informant, or whatever, said he was here."

Bella was about to answer him but someone else did it for her.

"He _is_ here," a woman said from next to Dean. The boy swung around in surprise, backing up slightly, but Bella smiled. "I spotted him inside a few minutes ago."

"And you are?" Dean said, still a little flustered.

"The name's Kate, Kate Whitlock," she held out her hand. She wore a fitted, worn, black leather vest over a tank top, a pair of tight jeans, and some cowboy boots. Her hair was blonde and unnaturally long, to the point where it almost touched her waist. A red flower pin held a corner of her hair, matching the deep of her lipstick. The thickness of her eyeliner brought out the steel grey that was her eyes. Kate's smile was bright and completely alluring, even Dean couldn't ignore how gorgeous she was. Bella envied her at times, and she guessed that even before the transformation, Kate was kryptonite for just about any man. Regardless of the time. "I'm guessin' yer the famous Winchester brothers, Sam and Dean?"

Dean stuttered a bit, a small laugh leaving him, but Sam spoke up for him, patting his brother on the back, "That's us. How did you-"

"You're John Winchester's boys. Every hunter who's a hunter knows about you two."

Bella smiled at her friend as she stood next to her, "Kate's my informant, and a damn good hunter."

"Among other things," Kate said with a small wink. Bella shook her head slightly.

"Why didn't you just gank him yourself when you had the chance?" Dean managed.

"Gank?" Kate asked, her and Bella's faces slightly confused.

"_Kill,_ him yourself," Sam translated.

"It was a public place? Besides I was waitin' for ya'll. I'm not big on takin' another hunter's kill. They tend not to like that," Kate said, eyes flicking to Bella for a split second.

_Over here_, Asher's voice suddenly said. Bella's eyes searched the area until she spotted the cat across the street, next to a couple of garbage cans. He was peering around them at a man walking into an alleyway with his arm wrapped around a blonde.

"There!" Bella pointed. Everyone's eyes turned to where she was indicating.

"Fits the profile," Dean said.

"Good enough for me," Kate said, taking off across the street.

"Wh-! Kate!" Bella stammered, starting after her with the boys and catching up easily. The four of them spotted the vampire at the end of the alley, ready to drop some sort of red liquid into the blonde's mouth. Kate grabbed him before he could do so and threw him against the wall, but pushed her off easily. Dean appeared behind him and threw a right hook, connecting with the vampire's jaw. The blonde girl's eyes widened but Sam grabbed her attention and forcefully turned her in the opposite direction.

"Go! Run!" he yelled.

The girl looked back again but Bella gave her another push, "Go!" She didn't question it again and took off down the alleyway. When the two turned back to face the threat, the vampire had thrown Dean into a wall and tossed Kate across the area into a bunch of trash cans, taking off down the alley. Bella ran towards her friend and Sam immediately went to Dean, lifting him up with ease.

"I'm fine!" the eldest brother said. "Let's go!" The two of them took off after the vampire, leaving Bella's sight as she pushed away trash cans to help Kate out. She heard groaning as her friend attempted to push herself up, throwing off trash. Bella extended her hand and Kate gripped it, rising to her feet.

"He's lucky I'm not the one killing him," she growled.

"Very lucky. Let's go."

"Right," Kate said as the two of them chased after the Winchesters. It didn't take long for them to catch up, but when they did they witnessed the boys skid to a complete halt. A surprised look crossed their faces, and before Bella could ask what was wrong, gunshots echoed through the alleyway. Kate pressed herself up against the wall and forced Bella to do the same as the boys ducked out of their view, gunshots echoing loudly.

"What the hell!?" Bella shouted.

"Smells like humans. Two of 'em," Kate said. She moved her arms around and pulled a large revolver from the waistband of her pants just as Bella did the same.

"You sure you're not just smelling Sam and Dean?"

"I know how those boys smell, and that ain't them," Kate said. She moved away from the safety of the wall and Bella followed suit, firing off a few shots. From what she could see, the shooters were two men, one was Caucasian and older looking, and the other was African American, and seemed pretty young. The duo turned to their attention to the girls and just as they ducked out of the way behind a nearby car, Dean shot past all of them. The older man went after him immediately, and though Bella wanted to help him, they were pinned.

"Dean!" she shouted, but the two of them were gone.

"Leave 'im! He'll be fine. That man won't be able to catch up," Kate said, just as a bullet hit the car they were hidden behind. Bella flinched and Kate instantly became worried, "You hit?"

"No just scared-" a hand touched Bella's shoulder and she about jumped out of her skin. It was Sam. "-THE HELL OUT OF ME," Bella hissed.

"Sorry!" Sam said.

"We gotta move," Kate interjected. The two of them nodded, and the moment Kate stood, raising her gun, Bella and Sam took off. Bella snatched up Asher, who had been following close behind, just as Kate let off a few shots before turning to join them, leaving the man in the dust.


	3. Chapter 3

"You mind telling us what the hell that was about?" Kate asked, watching as Bella helped Sam prop the final mattress against the window of the motel room. She had pulled her hair into a ponytail now so the expression on her almost perfect face was visible, arms crossed and hip cocked. Sam looked out the window once more, to check if Dean had returned, but turned to Kate.

"I'll explain everything once Dean gets here," he said.

"_If_ he gets here," she said bitterly, pulling up a chair and plopping down in it.

"Kate," Bella cautioned. The blonde reclined in the chair, propping her boots on the corner of the table, but said nothing more. Sam paced back and forth, peering out of the window between the mattresses. He checked his watch and then propped himself against the wall. His nervousness was obvious. "I'm sure he'll be fine Sam..." she tried.

His eyes fell on her and just as he was about to answer, the front door opened.

"There you are!" Sam said, pushing himself away from the wall. Dean smiled at the room and shut the door behind him.

"Sorry, I stopped for a slice," he said with a pat of his stomach. He breezed past Sam, avoiding everyone's gaze as he took off his over-shirt.

"Nice move you pulled back there Dean," Sam said. "Running _right at the weapons_."

"Well, what can I say. I'm a badass," Dean responded. There was an exasperated look on the younger brother's face, and Bella couldn't help but notice how passive Dean felt about being under fire. She remembered him being fearless, too an extent, when they were younger but something about him now just seemed off. Dean's eyes swept the room, taking in Bella's concerned look and Kate's irritation for a second before he looked back to Sam. "So I guess Gordon's out of jail."

"Uh, yeah I guess so," he answered.

"Gordon?" Bella and Kate asked in unison.

"Hunter we ran into a while back. Tried to kill Sam," Dean said.

"He tried to kill you too Dean," Sam added. The man dismissed the comment with a small roll of his eyes.

"Great," Kate mumbled. "Hunters hunting hunters."

"Okay, so how the hell did he find you then?" Bella asked, giving her friend another look. It was ignored. Dean and Sam contemplated the question for a moment before Dean started to dig into his pocket.

"That bitch," he said, only making the room more confused. He dialed someone's number and placed the phone up against his ear, the ringing loud enough to be heard in the silence of the room. "Hi Bela."

"Hello Dean," a woman's voice said from the other end.

"Bela?" Bella asked, extremely confused by the statement.

Dean turned around to look at her, "Not you Bells." A smirk appeared on Kate's face, obviously amused by the scenario and Sam gave her an apologetic look. "So, question for you. When you called me yesterday it wasn't to thank me for saving your ass was it?"

"No," the other Bela said. "Gordon Walker paid me to tell him where you were."

"Well she sounds nice," Bella mumbled under her breath as Asher jumped up onto the bed and curled up next to her.

"I kinda like her," Kate teased in a flat tone, only to receive a death glare from her friend.

"Excuse me?" Dean asked.

"Well, he had a gun on me? What else was I supposed to do?"

Dean's voice raised as fast as his apparent anger, "I don't know, maybe pick up the phone that a raging _psychopath_ was dropping by?!"

A small laugh could be heard from the other end, "I did fully intend to call. I just got a bit sidetracked."

"He tried to kill us!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was such a big deal."

"Is this chick serious?" Bella asked and Sam gave her a nod. "Wow, okay then..."

"After all there are two of you and one of him-" the other Bela started.

"There were two of them," Dean cut her off. "Bela, if we get out of this alive, the first thing I'm gonna do is kill you." Bella straightened her back and Kate's eyebrow lifted, obviously amused by the death threat.

"You're not serious..." the voice said.

"Listen to my voice and tell me if I'm serious," Dean said, voice low and dangerous. He shut the phone, giving a loud huff. Kate rocked on the chair with a slightly amused expression on her face.

"You Winchesters have a lot of bark don't ya?" Kate said. Dean's eyes fell on the blonde and Bella immediately rose to her feet.

"So this Bela sounds like a nice piece of work," she said. "How'd you guys run into her?"

There was a small pause before Sam spoke, "She stole Dad's rabbit foot a little while ago. She's a high class thief of sorts."

"Well that sounds... Fun," Bella said. "Obviously she's not a friend if she sells you out without a second thought."

"She's nothing close to being our friend," Dean spat, moving past Bella to his duffle bag. He took out a couple of machetes and placed them on the box spring, eyeing Asher as he did so. "We're ending this tonight though. And Sammy don't give me that 'He's human, it's wrong' crap because-"

"No, I agree. We have to kill him," Sam said. All the eyes in the room fell on him and he added, "I mean Gordon's not gonna stop until we're dead... Or until he is." Dean looked impressed, nodding his head at his younger brother's sudden determination. Bella still couldn't get over just how much of the boys had changed over the years. Being a hunter was no joke but she hadn't expected sweet little Sammy to just... _Kill_. Like John. Like Dean. Something had to have happened in the years they hadn't talked.

"Well then it's settled," Kate said, standing as well. "Let's find this son of a bi-"

Dean's phone rang loudly from his pocket. All eyes turned to him as he fished it from his pocket and looked at the caller ID. His expression became irritated again, flipping it open and raising it to his ear. "What?" he asked angrily. Unfortunately the rest of the room couldn't hear the other line clearly. "You're a hundred miles away how the hell did you... And?... Thanks," he rolled his eyes and listened for a little bit longer. Finally he shut the phone and addressed his audience,

"Bela found Gordon for us."

"What?" Bella asked. "How?"

"Doesn't matter, we got him," Sam said.

Kate gave a small nod, "Liking this Bela character more and more." The comment earned an eye roll from her friend.

* * *

The warehouse was dark and damp, like most of them tended to be. The four hunters were back to back, the boys taking the lead and the girls watching the surroundings. Kate stopped them when she stumbled on something, letting a small puff of air push through her teeth to call for their attention. It was a stairway, and with the look Kate gave Bella, something was down below. Sam stepped down first, Dean and the girls falling behind him, trying to keep their footsteps quiet.

At the bottom there was a room with a man kneeling, head hanging low. There were two bodies -the girls he had taken- hanging by their hands... With no heads. Bella grimaced slightly, lifting her hand to her nose to block out the awful smell. Kate hesitated behind her for a moment and she guessed it was because of the fresh blood. She turned to check if her friend was okay, but when she saw the intense focus in her eyes, Bella turned back around.

Dean grabbed a knife from a nearby table, ready to strike, while the rest of them had their guns pointed at the man.

"Go ahead," the vampire said, all of the grips on all their weapons tightening. "Do it. Kill me."

Sam turned to look at his brother for a quick moment before asking, "What happened to you?"

"Gordon Walker... I never should have brought a hunter here," the vamp said, rising to his feet. The four of them tensed. "Never... I just... I just wanted some kind of revenge. It was stupid, exposing them to my family."

"Aww yeah, you're such a family man," Dean said, venom lacing his words. The enemy vampire's eyes moved to between them all, eyes falling on Kate for a longer moment. She shifted uncomfortably next to Bella, and for a moment she thought he was going to out her.

"You don't understand-"

"I don't wanna understand you son of a-"

The vamp cut Dean off, "I was desperate. You ever felt desperate?" He started circling around to his side as Sam crossed the room to the bodies. The girls held their weapons on him but he didn't seem to care. "I've lost everyone I've ever loved. I'm staring down eternity alone. Can you think of a worse hell?" Bella couldn't help but flick her eyes to Kate, wondering just how much this guy's speech resonated with her, but her face was set in stone.

"Well, there's real hell," Dean said bluntly.

"I wasn't thinking... I just, I didn't care anymore. Do you know what that's like? When you just don't give a damn?" The vamp took a few more steps towards Dean, the hunters gripping their weapons even tighter. "It's like being dead already. So just go ahead. Do it."

"Guys," Sam said from next to the corpses. "Head wasn't cut off, it was ripped off. With someone's bare hands." The eyes in the room widened, shifting between the vamp and Sam. "Dixon, what did you do to Gordon?"

The vampire looked down, tears pouring down his already wet face. Bella caught Dean's eyes for a moment, a small twinge of fear creeping into her stomach.

"Looks like things just got more interestin' boys," Kate said. The vampire turned to look at the woman who spoke, eyes full of knowledge. He knew she was part of his kind, there was no denying it, but he looked too broken to care.

"Kill me," he pleaded, tear filled eyes locked on the blonde. Her expression didn't change. Not even as she watched Dean slice clean through the skin of the vampire's neck.

* * *

Bella's eyes fluttered open, squinting at the sunlight shining through the window next to the table she'd fallen asleep on. She detached her face from a page in her grimoire and took in the rest of her surroundings. Her motel room was the same as when she had unwillingly fallen asleep except now Asher was curled up in front of her on the table and Kate was leaning up against a wall. Her arms were crossed with her head leaning back against the wall, eyes closed.

"Mornin'," she said.

"How long was I out?" Bella asked, rubbing her eyes.

"9 hours."

"What?!" Bella asked. "Why did you let me sleep that long?! Sam and Dean-"

"The Winchesters are fine. Dean left about a half hour after you knocked out and hasn't gotten back yet. Sam's been tapping away at the keys on his laptop," she said. "I even got a couple of hours in."

Bella checked the time on her phone: 4:24 P.M. She yawned, closing her grimoire and receiving a huff from Asher.

"I feel bad for not helping them out."

"Don't," Kate said, her eyes still closed. "They're big boys. They can handle themselves."

"That may be true but you and I both know that there's strength in numbers."

"There's also weakness," Kate said. Bella's eyes watched her friend, shifting in her seat.

"You alright?" Bella asked.

"I'm fine."

"You sure? I mean... I mean, if that vampire got to you last night-"

"He didn't."

"Kate-"

The blonde opened her eyes and focused on Bella, "He made his mistakes and they caught up to him. End of story." The ice in her stare was enough to tell Bella to back off.

"Fine... But just remember, you're nothing like him," she said. Kate let out a small scoff that seemed to be involuntary. "I'm serious Kate. You're a hunter. You save people all the time. And more importantly, you're not alone. Ever."

"'Ever' is a long time, darlin'," the woman said, eyes locking on her friend.

A heavy sigh left the young hunter, wishing she could find the right words to reassure Kate. The woman had been alive for a while, she'd seen things that Bella couldn't even imagine. She eventually settled on, "You look like hell."

Kate was a little taken back by the comment. "Wh... I beg your pardon-"

"When was the last time you ate?"

"Uh," she blinked a couple times, trying to think. "Must have been a few days... I had a couple of rabbits."

"Rabbits? What happened your packs?"

"Ran out. Didn't have a chance to stop by a bank with that vamp runnin' around," Kate said. Bella nodded but before she could answer, there was a knock on the door between them and the Winchester's. "Come in." Sam stepped into the room, clutching two phones in his hands.

"Gordon doesn't know who you guys are but it's better to be safe than sorry," he said, waving the devices slightly.

"Aww really?" Bella said, sucking air through her teeth. "Fine... I have all my contacts written down anyway..." She handed her phone over to Sam, Kate doing the same.

"Everyone I need to know is up here." She tapped her head.

"Sorry," Sam said, opening both of the devices up and tinkering with the backs. When he was done with that, he placed all four of them on the floor and started stomping.

"So, other than killing phones, what's the plan?" Bella asked.

"The plan is to make it through the night," Dean said, appearing in the doorway.

"Wasn't that a given?" Bella asked. Kate let out a small chuckle.

Dean continued, "I'm going make a quick trip to the cell phone store and grab a couple of supplies though."

"I'll go with you," Bella said immediately.

"No that's-"

Bella held up her hand, "I've been sleeping for the past 9 hours. I think the least I could do is go with you to the cell phone store."

Dean looked from his brother to Kate and then finally to Bella. He sighed slightly.

"Fine. No touching my radio though," he warned.

"Deal," Bella said.

* * *

"Darlin', I really don't need to eat right now-" Kate tried.

Bella held up a hand to halt anymore talking, a forest appearing around them as they left the city limits. It was dark now, the perfect cover for Kate. Bella pulled off to the side of the road and turned down her music.

"You're paler than normal and you look closer to forty than twenty," Bella said, her friend's eyes widening slightly. "Go and find something to eat. I'll be back in a half hour to get you." Kate let out a deep sigh, glaring at the girl in the driver's seat.

"Fine," she said, climbing out of the car. "If anything happens, call me immediately."

"Will do," Bella responded. "Now go."

The passenger door slammed shut, Bella watching as Kate took in her surroundings. When the vampire was gone, she made a u-turn and headed back toward town. Her stomach growled and she winced, realizing she hadn't eaten all day. It wasn't long before she was back in town again and she pulled into the first fast food place she saw.

Once she had been given the bag full of greasy heaven, she pulled into a parking spot. She plopped a french fry into her mouth and groaned. With everything going on she had completely forgotten that the last thing to settle in her stomach was Sheila's homemade sandwich.

_Sheila_... Bella thought. It hadn't even occurred to her what storm would be waiting for her when she returned to her caretakers. Sneaking off in the middle of the night to help a vampire and the delinquents known as the Winchesters.

Bella shook the thought from her mind and took a bite of her cheeseburger. She absently grabbed a french fry for Asher but remembered that he wasn't in the car with her. He'd disappeared on his nightly strolls -something he did even when they were home, usually coming in just as she was settling in for bed- and she hadn't waited up for him.

It was then that she was hyper aware of the fact that she was completely alone. Her eyes scoped out the dark parking lot, taking in each car and light and detail. It'd been a long time since she was by herself. Ever since Asher came into the picture he never left her side, always keeping an eye on her. Familiars were good like that. A part of her wondered if he was watching her right now, in that sneaky cat way of his. A small smile crossed her lips at the thought as she took a sip of her soda, setting it back into its place in the cup-holder.

The driver's side window shattered so suddenly that Bella didn't even notice until someone's arms were dragging her through it. She let out a scream, landing on the gravel hard. Glass jabbed into her hands as she tried to scramble to her feet, but a swift strike to the face knocked her into complete darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

The muscles in her back were strained with the way her arms were tied above her head. She groaned slightly, feeling a surge of pain travel from her cheek and down the rest of her body. Her vision was still blurred and her head was spinning, so she relied on her other senses to tell her what was going on. It smelled damp and abandoned, like another warehouse, and there was a steady drip of water echoing in the silence of the room. A shuffling next to her made her tense, sending a pain down her arms and through her back.

Bella opened her eyes, finally able to take in the place around her without feeling like she would pass out again. It was a warehouse like she'd guessed and the room she was in had very dim lights. She looked to her side and spotted another girl sitting on the floor with her hands tied to pipes. The minute her eyes caught found Bella's, she began to sob, her body shaking uncontrollably.

"He's going to kill us... Oh God... He's going to kill us..." she whispered through her tears.

Bella swallowed, throat dry as she tried to find her voice, "Shh, it's okay. Who's going to kill us?"

"Oh good, you're awake," a man's voice said from the shadows. Bella's head snapped in the direction of the sound and the girl next to her let out a loud whimper. He emerged slowly, approaching the novice hunter first.

"Gordon," Bella said, straightening her back the best that she could. He was much taller than her, like many people tended to be. Gordon didn't answer her, nose twitching as he stopped inches away from her. Her heartbeat increased and her jaw clenched, taking in the his bloodshot eyes. The same eyes she had seen earlier whilst scrying.

"You reek of the Winchesters," he said. "And of your vampire friend." Bella kept her eyes from widening. She knew it would never be hard for any creature to pinpoint what Kate was, but it still bothered her. "I've never met a hunter that made friends with monsters... You must be new."

"I don't believe in killing people that save my life," she answered in a flat tone. "No matter what species." Gordon laughed, startling both the girls.

"As though one good deed could fix a lifetime of wrong."

"No, but it's a start."

"Please just let me go... I don't know any of you or even what's going on... _Please_," the girl whimpered. Gordon's bloodshot eyes turned on her and Bella knew immediately that this wasn't going to end well.

"Gordon, leave her alone. She has _nothing_ to do with this."

"You're right, she doesn't," he said. "But the Winchesters made me into a monster... And in order to fix all of this... Sacrifices have to be made." Gordon's hand slashed across the girl's arm and a loud scream left her.

"Gordon! Please! You don't have to do this!" Bella shouted, trying to fight against her bindings. It was useless, the cool chains were tight against her wrists and hands. "You can be good!"

"You can't be a monster and still be good," he said, slashing at his own arm. He raised it to the girl's arm.

"Gordon no!" Bella shouted as the girl let out a scream. She was kicking and trying to get away, but it was already too late. Bella's thoughts were jumbled as she tried to think of spells that could help her in this situation. She contemplated setting him on fire but the last time she tried that it backfired on her. Not to mention, anything that didn't right out kill him would just make him angry and he'd either kill her or turn her.

Gordon pulled her sleeve back down, tied a white piece of fabric around the girl's head to muffle her screams and then turned to Bella. Her breaths were heavy as she tried to straighten up, not knowing what he was thinking. He stopped inches from him, looking down into her eyes as his hand pulled the phone from her pocket. She watched as he scrolled through the limited contacts until he settled on one.

A raspy voice she knew belonged to Dean came from the other end, "Hello?-"

"Dean," Gordon said. There was a long pause.

"How'd you get this number?"

"Scent's all over the cell phone store. Where are you?"

"I guess you'll just have to find us won't you-"

"I'd rather you come to me."

"What's a matter Gordo? Not afraid of us are you? We're just sittin' here, bring it on."

"I don't think so," he said, holding the phone close to Bella's face.

She let out a small sigh, closing her eyes before simply saying,"Dean." There was another small silence.

"Bells? How did-"

Gordon pulled the phone back to his ear, "Factory on Riverside off the turnpike be here in 20 minutes or your girl dies."

"Gordon let her go-"

"Bye Dean,"

"Gordon! Don't do this. You don't kill innocent people, you're still a hunter."

Gordon looked over Bella's face for a second before answering, "No. I'm a monster." He flipped the phone shut, ending the conversation. Bella let out a shaky breath as she watched him look her up and down. He tapped the phone against his lips for a moment, as if contemplating something, and in a flash his hand sliced the skin on her arm. She screamed, aware of exactly what he was doing and tried to wriggle away.

"Gordon, Gordon please don't. Please-"

It was as if time had slowed as she watched him lift his still bleeding arm to hers. In a few moments she'd be just like that girl across from her, a ticking time bomb of sorts. Turning into more of monster than she already was. An image of the Winchesters slicing off her head entered her mind, but she couldn't do anything. She was stuck.

Gordon's ice cold skin touched hers for only a moment before he went rigid. He pulled his arm away immediately, as though he'd been shocked by something, and fell to his knees screaming. Bella's eyes widened as his body convulsed, steam rising from the cut on his arm.

"What... What are you?" He managed through his gritted teeth, looking down at his arm. Bella wanted to answer him, she truly did, but she had no idea what was going on. She looked up at her arm and saw that, even though blood was running down her arm, it was steaming as well.

* * *

Gordon didn't go anywhere near her after he was able to get to his feet. He left her and the time bomb alone, obviously making preparations for the Winchesters. The cloth he wrapped around her head to gag her tasted disgusting and made her throat even dryer. She stopped trying to pinpoint his location after a time of complete silence, and instead tried to figure out what the hell had happened. Nothing like that had ever happened before, but then again, she'd never been in this kind of situation. She_ would _get caught on her first real hunt.

A small 'meow' called her attention toward the door.

_Asher?_, Bella thought.

_Yes_, the cat answered. A wave of relief came over her when her familiar bounded toward her, the Winchesters close behind. Dean spotted the other girl and directed Sam to free her as he approached Bella.

"You okay Bells?" Dean asked, fiddling with her chains for only a second before her hands were released. She fell forward involuntarily and Dean caught her.

"I could be better," she said with a forced laugh as he shook his head.

"Can you walk?" he asked. Bella straightened up, steadying herself on Dean's shoulder for a second.

"I should be fine," she said. The other girl was beginning to stir out of her sleep. "Wait, wait. Sam! Get away from her Gordon-" The new vampire let out a scream, sharp teeth appearing over her human ones. Both boys readied their weapons but she was too fast, knocking the guns from their hands and launching Dean and Bella into the next room with a simple push. They hit the floor hard, sliding until they hit some sort of heavy machinery.

She disregarded Sam and took off after Dean and Bella, with Asher right behind her. The minute she entered the new room with them a metal door dropped down and separated them from Sam. The person Gordon wanted the most.

"Sam!" Dean shouted, only to be cut off by the sound of Asher's screeches. He leapt onto the vampire's head, digging his claws into her face long enough for Dean and Bella to get to their feet. The vampire grabbed the cat by the scruff of his collar and launched him across the room.

_I'm fine!_, Asher said, giving Bella only a momentary sense of relief before the vampire came at them again. Dean swung at her but she dodged, decking him in the face so hard he toppled to the floor. She turned on Bella and wrapped her hand around her throat. The young hunter gripped the vampire's arm, gasping for breath as she stared into her bloodshot eyes.

"_You_ let him do this to me!" the woman said in a raspy tone, grip tightening on her windpipe. Bella felt bolts and valves jabbing into her lower back as she was pressed into the machine. Dean reached to his side and unsheathed a machete only to have it kicked away, pressing her foot against his chest roughly. The air traveling through Bella's throat was becoming more and more limited, and when she thought she was going to pass out again a flash collided with the vampire in front of her and sent her into a nearby wall.

Bella took a deep breath, bringing her hand up to her throbbing throat as Kate brought her to a standing position.

"You alright darlin'?" Kate asked, a determined look on her face. Bella nodded, still taking in deep breaths as she gave Dean a hand. "Good, now go get your brother. Bella and I can handle this." Dean didn't fight her, instead picking up the machete and taking off out of the room to help Sam. Kate handed Bella the machete that was at her side and then turned her attention towards the new vampire. She tilted her heads to both sides, cracking her neck, and brought up her hands, beckoning for the girl to come at her. Bella readied her own weapon as Kate said, "Come on ya deadbeat."

The newly made vampire picked herself up from the floor and let out an animal-like growl, which Kate returned. The woman crossed the room, ready to to sink her fangs into the two hunters but they moved out of her way. Another growl left the girl as she turned on Bella, ready to attack her again, only to be pulled back by the roots of her hair and thrown into the metal door that separated them from the boys.

She got up quickly this time, dodging one of Kate's fists and letting it dent the door behind her. Bella slashed at her, missing as well. She jumped back when she saw the woman's claws coming down at her, Kate catching the vampire by the wrist and snapping it with ease. The woman screamed in agony as Kate kicked her knee, shattering that as well. She fell to her knees, giving the hunters the opportunity they needed. They were two people moving as one.

Kate grabbed a handful of the girl's hair and bent back her head as Bella brought the blade down. The woman's screams stopped, head separating sickeningly easy from her body. Loud bangs from the other side of the door caught their attention immediately, not allowing them to savor their small victory. Kate dropped the girl's head on the floor and rushed to the door with Bella. Her fist collided with the mechanism next to the door, sending sparks flying everywhere before kneeling down. Both girls put their hands under the metal door and pushed it up.

The first thing they saw was Sam pinned against a table of sorts with Gordon standing right in front of him. Just as they were about to help him, blood poured from Gordon's neck and his head tumbled away from them, body falling to the ground. Kate and Bella looked at him for a long moment, taking in the bloody barbed wire in his hands. Never could she have imagined she'd see the day where Sam Winchester turned into a full fledged killing machine, and if she was being honest with herself, it was a pretty scary sight.

Sam looked just as surprised as everyone else, dropping the wire as a groan from next to the girls made their heads turn.

"Dean!" Bella said, rushing over to him. His hand was pressed against a decent wound on his neck, blood pouring over his fingers. "Oh man, are you okay?" She asked, helping him to his feet.

"I've had worse," he said with a groan. Dean steadied himself just as Sam approached, exhaustion apparent in his movements. "You just charged a super vamped out Gordon... With no weapon. That's a little reckless don't you think?" Dean asked, all of them letting out a sigh of relief.

"Looks like the Winchesters have a lot more bite than I thought," Kate commented in a very strained tone. Bella let out a small bubble of laughter, patting Sam on the shoulder as they all turned to leave.

* * *

"Well that was one hell of a reunion," Bella said, opening the door to her car and tossing in her bag.

"I'll say," Sam commented from the other side where him and Dean were packing up the Impala. Kate left Bella's room, putting on her sunglasses and cowboy hat before adjusting the leather pack on her shoulders.

"Where's your ride Kate?" Dean asked, closing the door to his Baby. The blonde pointed across the parking lot at a black Harley-Davidson, with it's extremely large handlebars jutting into the air.

"It's the closest thing to a horse this side of Mississippi," she answered.

Dean considered it and groaned, "That's so hot." Kate smiled to herself as Bella rolled her eyes, a small smile on her own lips.

"Well, it was nice meetin' the famous Winchesters," Kate said, holding out one of her gloved hands. The boys took turns shaking her hand.

"Pleasure was ours," Sam said, earning a jab in the ribs from Dean.

"See you around," she said, pulling down her glasses for a to give them both a wink before turning towards Bella. The boys turned to each other in a heated argument that neither of the girls could hear, walking towards the trunk to have a little more privacy. Bella pulled her friend into a tight hug.

"It was nice seeing you again," she said.

"I agree. Maybe next time it'll be under different circumstances."

"One can only hope," Bella said, pulling away and looking up at the blonde. She was only a couple inches taller than her, but the boots added a few more. There was a small silence, Kate's face falling slightly.

"Thanks for savin' my hide... I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Probably die," Bella teased, making Kate laugh.

"I've managed to stay alive this long, don't wanna ruin that streak now," Kate said with a small. She gave Bella a pat on the shoulder, "Take care darlin'." Bella nodded at her friend, leaning up against the trunk, and watched her cross the parking lot and straddle her motorcycle. The engine roared to life just as the boys joined Bella, and before they knew it, the blonde was gone.

"You meet some of the weirdest people on this job," Dean said.

"You're tellin' me," Bella said, turning her full attention to them. "So where you boys headed now?"

"Dunno," Dean said with a shrug. "We'll find another case eventually. Right now I'm more concerned with getting a slice of pie from that diner down the road." He pat his stomach and Sam rolled his eyes.

"How about you?" the younger brother asked.

"I'm headed back to Sheila and Laurence. Have to face their wrath sooner or later," she said, earning a confused look from the boys. "They didn't exactly know I was coming out here..."

"Ah," Dean said completely understanding. "Well, good luck surviving that one. Those two are like a double dose of Bobby."

Bella grimaced, "Thanks." Asher jumped onto the trunk of her car and rubbed himself against Sam's arm. Dean moved away from him immediately. "You act like he's going to rip out your throat or something."

"After seeing what he did to that vamp, I'm not taking my chances," Dean countered. His brother on the other hand pet him lovingly, earning a very loud purr.

"Anyways, we better get going," Bella said, turning to Dean and pulling him into a hug. He was a little taken back by the gesture, hesitating momentarily before hugging her back. It had been a long time since she'd hugged the Winchesters, but when she did, it was like they had gone back in time. When John used to leave them with Laurence and Sheila and played together... Just kids.

"It was good seeing you again Bells," Dean said, giving her one more squeeze before she moved to Sam. He had to hunch over slightly to give her a proper hug, but it was just as good as Dean's.

Bella pulled back and smiled at them both, "If you guys ever need my help, you have my number." They gave her a smile as she picked up Asher from the trunk and sat down in her car. Dean closed the door for her, watching as she turned on the car and backed up out of the parking spot. She turned in the direction that would lead her out of the city, sparing one last look at the Winchesters in her rearview mirror. A small sigh left her as Asher curled up next to her, placing his head on her lap.

Her hand glided over his fur gently as she said, "Let's go home."


	5. Chapter 5

The sun was up by the time Bella turned onto the path leading up to Sheila and Laurence's. Relief washed over her when she saw the cabin-esque home, complete with woods surrounding it. She pulled into the garage next to Laurence's old Dodge Charger and killed the engine. Her body slid down the leather seat, resting the crook of her neck on it as she considered just how bad it was going to be. Asher stretched his long, lean body, sitting down and staring directly at her. Bella's head lolled to the side.

"Don't look at me like that," she said. Asher turned his head slightly and gave a catlike chirp. Bella let out a sigh as she opened the door, grabbing her bag and climbing out. She waited for her familiar exit before locking the car and heading towards the front.

The moment she stepped out of the garage she spotted them. Her caretakers stood at the edge of the porch, eyes locked on the young hunter. Sheila was completely stone faced, arms crossed and daggers shooting from her eyes. Bella gave a sheepish smile to the older woman. She turned her back on her as she approached porch and entered the house. Laurence gave Bella a sympathetic look, and turned to join his wife.

When they were all inside, Bella followed the couple into the dining room where they took a seat. She hesitated in the doorway, a little unsure about the mood in the room.

"Dinner's almost ready," Sheila said, folding her hands. Laurence sat next to her and continued sharpening his knife, still very aware of the situation at hand. "Sit." Bella did as she was told, grabbing a chair right across from them.

"I'm sorry for-"

"What was the job?" Sheila asked. Bella was confused by her caretaker's calm tone, eyes darting between her and her husband who looked just as confused.

She hesitated before answering, "Vampires."

"Plural?"

"Yes ma'am."

"You took down multiple vampires... By yourself?" Sheila asked. Bella's obvious hesitation made the older woman's eyes squint.

"No," Bella started. "I had some help... From the Winchesters." She could have sworn the moment the name left her mouth Sheila's eye twitched and her folded hands turned into a vice grip. Bella fiddled with the the leather strap of her messenger bag as she waited for the blow up. But it never came.

"Well, at least you're not dead," Sheila said, picking herself up from the chair and turning toward the kitchen. Laurence and Bella both watched her, impressed by her self control.

"Guess Hurricane Sheila lost all its power," Laurence said. He nodded his head as he continued to sharpen his knife.

"I was... Expecting a lot more than that."

"Had you come back a little earlier, you would have gotten _a lot _more than that," Laurence said. "Trust me." Bella had a feeling he'd been a victim of Sheila's infamous mood swings. One moment she wants to rip your throat out in the most gruesome way possible, and the next she's got tons of baked goods waiting for you.

"I suggest you get yourself washed up!" Sheila called from the kitchen. Bella smiled slightly, rising from her seat and turning away. "That means you too Laurence."

Bella crossed the house to her room, Asher following closely at her heels. The moment she opened the door he shot in and stopped by his food bowl, looking at her expectantly. Bella tossed her bag onto her neatly made bed and poured some food for him. It was a simple room filled with bookcases and other structures holding her supplies. When she wasn't outside she was at her desk studying her craft.

Asher immediately dove into his supper as she placed the food bag back under her desk. Her eyes caught the calendar hanging on the wall. A small moon was fixed in the corner of the current date.

"Huh," she said. "Perfect timing."

Bella grabbed some clean clothes from her drawer and headed into the bathroom just outside of the room, closing the door behind her. She caught her reflection in the mirror and was a little taken aback by just how different she looked. There was nothing physically different about her, but she knew something was off. She wondered if being alone on her first hunt had allowed her to mature more as a person or if having an actual kill under her belt had begun to change her.

The face of the young girl Gordon had changed entered her mind, her cries echoing in her ears and turning into ferocious snarls. Bella's eyes turned down to her arm where her makeshift bandage was hidden underneath her jacket. She slid the piece of clothing off and tossed it to the floor, pulling the bandage off. The slash Gordon had made in her arm was still bright red though it was scabbing over.

Bella remembered the steam that had emerged from it when making contact with Gordon's blood and a sense of worry entered her again. She didn't _feel_ like she was turning. She leaned closer to the bathroom mirror and pulled up her lip, checking for any new teeth hiding in her gums. Nothing. A sigh left her as she ran a finger over the scab, wondering what the hell happened during the hunt and what changed inside of her in the process.

* * *

Bella closed the door to the back porch quietly, Asher right at her side. She shifted the bag of supplies on her shoulder and balanced the bowl of salt in her hands as she descended the stairs. Her feet touched the cool dirt as she looked up at the moon. It was full and bright in the sapphire colored sky, and she felt a sense of ease wash over her.

She headed straight into the forest with Asher already a few steps ahead of her. He knew exactly what the full moon meant and where she was heading. The forest was black, save for the few beams of light from the moon, but Bella expertly navigated the tricky floor. She trusted her hands and feet to tell her where to go, climbing over fallen trees and weaving in and out of the trees.

It was a few minutes before she came across a clearing -one she had used many times before- where the moonlight was bright and welcoming. Asher shot up one of the trees and settled onto a branch where he could see everything perfectly.

Placing her bag down on a nearby stump, she pulled out her candles and laid them out carefully, one by one, marking her circle with the process. Her fingers dug into the earth to bury the bottom of each pillar, and she focused on ridding the area of anything negative. They formed a ring in the middle of the clearing, looking like a fairy ring without their flames flickering. Four differently colored candles in each cardinal direction and one white candle in between each pair.

Bella picked up her salt bowl and walked around the outer edge of the circle, scattering the white powder. "Let it be known to all that this circle is about to be cast. I who enter it come with perfect love, and trust, and none shall enter except those who mean no harm." She stepped into the circle and turned, sprinkling the last of the salt, sealing herself inside.

She placed down the bowl and moved to her other supplies in the center of her circle. She picked up her lighting candle, carved with symbols of protection, and lit it quickly with the lighter on the ground before turning to the East.

"We who breath, and live, and exist in mind and body; with the power of air we become true. We are those who seek your wisdom, and knowledge, and guidance. I ask that you keep watch over my circle, and that all which enters this circle is pure."

She touched the flaming wick to the yellow candle, watched it flare up, and moved to the white one next to it. She lit it without speaking, continuing the circle, and moved to the South.

"We who fight, and push ourselves to maintain our energy and our drive; with the power of Fire we become true. We are those who seek your power to light the world. I ask that you keep watch over my circle, and that all which enters this circle is pure."

Again she lit the candle, this time red, and then moved from the white candle next to it to the West.

"We who need emotion, and morality, to guide our work; with the power of Water we become true. We are those who seek your ability to purify, as we attempt to purify our world. I ask that you keep watch over my circle, and that all which enters this circle is pure."

The blue candle flickered as she moved to the white, and then she was faced North, her final direction.

"We who need stability, and strength; with the power of the Earth we become trie. We are those who seek your endurance, your cycle that never ends. I ask that you keep watch over my circle, and that all which enters that circle is pure."

Bella lit the green candle, and the white, and then stepped back into the center of the circle to look around her. The eight candles flickered, but even the breeze did not blow them out.

"I find myself here tonight in the light of the moon, which reflects the light of the Goddess herself that shines within all of us. Queen of the night, who maintains the cycle of every man and woman, who pulls the tides closer, and pushes them away before we drown; Tonight I honor you, who gives me guidance and light throughout my life."

She turned back to the center of the circle and picked up her taper candle, white and silver. It glittered in the moonlight, and even more after she touched her flame to the wick. As it became strong enough to keep its own light, she finally blew out her lighting candle.

"Tonight I reflect on my accomplishments, and my gifts."

Bella took a deep breath, centering herself. Before she could stop herself the Winchesters entered her mind. They'd rid the world of another evil being, selfish in his ways, and protected the town from any further deaths. She had also saved her close friends. Other small accomplishments, such as mastering a new abilities, having a greater sense of focus, and Asher finding her were also brought forth.

After showing her appreciation, she placed the candle back onto the ground and picked up her scrying bowl. She carefully poured from her pitcher into it, filling it as close to the brim as she dared when lifting it above her head. She held it out to the light, with her arms outstretched.

"As in the darkness it can be most hard to see, in the light everything becomes clear. The moon is Wisdom, she is all-knowing because she sees past what we can view with our eyes. I seek your light, and your sight. Fill my bowl with your image, so that I may look past the surface and view what is to come, what I must know."

Bella settled herself down onto the ground and placed the bowl in front of her where it still reflected the moon above. Taking a deep breath, she focused her energy as she had in the motel room that past week, searching for her answers. She closed her eyes for a few long moments until she was ready to take in what the goddess had to tell her.

At first there was nothing, just the full moon reflecting on the water, but slowly the water began to shift and ripple. A haunting howl echoed in her head, goosebumps rising on her arms as she tried to keep her focus. The howls changed into doglike snarls as an image of shredding skin crossed the water. It was followed by an image of black eyes shifting into black. Fangs were the first things to emerge from the blackness, shifting into a doglike creature for a moment and then into three separate entities. She felt her concentration dwindling so she closed her eyes, having seen enough.

She took a few deep breaths to steady herself and when she opened them again, the only image in the dark water was the moon. Bella straightened herself up, letting her thoughts calm down before she stood to circle the candles once more; this time in reverse.

"I accept these things which I have seen into my life, whether it be the best for now or something better for my highest good, and the good of all concerned. With my buisness finished I close this circle. The wheel turns, never ending, new and old and new again."

She kneeled down to pluck the green candle from its place. "Earth, I salute you. I thank you for your protection and I release you from this circle."

Bella blew out the green candle, then the white, and continued on to the blue to do the same. "Water, I salute you. I thank you for your protection and I release you from this circle."

The blue joined the green, and then the white, and she turned to the South.

"Fire, I salute you. I thank you for your protection and I release you from this circle."

The red candle flickered out with its white partner, and Bella turned to the last candle.

"Air, I salute you. I thank you for your protection and I release you from this circle."

As the yellow candle died out, the white candle next to it was caught by the wind and flickered out on its own. Bella stood in her circle of salt, and looked back to the moon.

"I am released from this circle, as its purpose has finished. May it be here for me when I next have need of it, and may it remain in peace and purity until I return."

Her foot cut through the line of salt, opening the circle, and the Moon's candle in the center flickered and then left the world in shadow. She collected all of her materials slowly, placing them into the bag she'd set on the stump and then pulled it onto her shoulder. Even though she had no idea what the goddess had shown her, she trusted that in time she'd understand.


	6. Chapter 6

A breeze moved through the yard, piercing the striped hoodie Bella had put on over her long sleeved shirt. She shivered, wishing her jeans offered better protection and contemplating running back inside to put on some shoes. Thankfully there wasn't any snow -it'd been a couple of days, and even when it did snow it was a light layer- and even though it was pretty cold, she enjoyed feeling the earth between her toes, even if for a brief moment. Bella had decided to take a break from researching possible cases with Sheila to check on her resources.

Rushing across the dirt driveway with Asher at her side, she entered the small greenhouse Laurence had built for her and shut the door behind them. Warmth enveloped her entire body, her nose tingling from the quick temperature changes. She let out a breath and took in the sight of bright green herbs such as rosemary, thyme, sage, mint, lavender, and parsley. The air was a mixture of different smells, completely calming her.

Bella pushed up her sleeves and gently ran her fingers over the plants on the left side of the aisle first, making sure each of them were growing properly. Whenever she encountered a wilting plant, she focused her energy on it, happy to see her power had increased over the two months she'd been home without a case. No longer did she have to utter a Latin incantation to make a few flowers bloom, instead, she just used her touch.

A part of her wondered how powerful she might become later in life. Magic was a tricky thing, especially in her circumstance. Her eyes fell on Asher who was gently nipping at some mint leaves. Bella'd been 18 when Asher found her.

"Is that a damn cat or dog?" Bella remembered Laurence asking. The cat was a mystery to all of them, just sitting there on the front porch taking a nap, but Bella felt a strong connection to him. He had padded right over to her, rubbing himself against her legs affectionately. It was only when he looked directly into her eyes and said, _Master_, that she'd freaked out.

Asher was the one who told her about the curse on her family's bloodline and how her mother and father had actually died.

Bella shook her head of the memory, not wishing to relive it at the moment, and placed her focus back on her plants. When she reached the end of the left side, she turned and took a few steps to go up the right side. There were only a couple of wilting plants she saw, and after bringing them back to life, she gathered a few handfuls of sage, rosemary and parsley. She stuffed them into the large pocket of the hoodie and gave the plants a light spray with the hose.

"Come on Asher," she said, pulling down her sleeves and prepared herself for the rush of cold air. The cat immediately jumped from the table, rushing past Bella the moment she opened the door. She rolled her eyes as she stepped into the cold, sealing the greenhouse completely. Her cheeks burned slightly and her teeth chattered as she rushed across the yard, up the steps -wiping her feet well on the worn welcome mat outside the door- and entered the warm house.

The sound of the television carried over to the front door and Bella could clearly make out the words '_mysterious murders in Vermont up next_'. She walked toward the kitchen to neatly place the parsley and rosemary on the counter and then made a beeline for the living room. She saw Sheila seated on her rocking chair with a laptop on sitting on her knees and eyes focused on the television. Laurence was busy reading through five different books.

"What about murders in Vermont?" Bella asked, picking up one of Laurence's books from the couch so she could sit down.

"Over the past few days they've found people dead up in the mountains, throats ripped out and hearts missing," Laurence said without lifting his eyes to her. He fixed his reading glasses and flipped through another page.

"That doesn't sound like a Wendigo," Bella said, examining the book in her hands. It was a about animal tracks or something, she couldn't tell. "And it can't be a werewolf, the moon cycle's all wrong."

"That's correct," Sheila said. "Sounds like it's an Olitiau."

"An Oli-what?" Bella asked, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"An Olitiau, a large bat," Sheila answered. "There have been witness reports dating all the way back to September that describe a large, bat-like creature flying past trail walkers when it gets close to sunset."

"So is it like a vampire?"

"No clue," Laurence said. "There's been lots of sightings in Africa but no killings. This seems to be the only one that's been poking around the U.S."

"Well that's... Fun," Bella settled on. "Do we know how to kill it?"

"Nope. Which means we'll be the test subjects."

"Fantastic," Bella said, not exactly enthusiastic about going into a case blind. "So we're definitely taking it then?"

"You bet we are," Laurence said, a tinge of excitement in his tone. He tossed his book onto the coffee table, giving Bella a hard pat on the back and hauling himself off the couch. "Pack your snow boots kiddo, it's bat season."

* * *

Laurence pulled the old Dodge Charger into a secluded part of the forest at the base of the mountain. There was a trail a mile or two away from them that was swarmed with state troopers. They were trying their hardest to keep people away from the path but the forest was so big that they couldn't possibly keep everyone out. Thankfully, three mysterious murders and snow tended to keep the smarter portion of the population away.

"Goddess it's freezing," Bella commented as she zipped up both her hoodie and leather jacket. She was wearing about 3 layers of clothing -a beanie, scarf, both jackets, flannel, leggings under her jeans and hiking boots over them- and she was still slightly shivering.

"You've lived in Vermont your whole life and you're complainin' about the cold?" Laurence asked. He was protected by a heavy jacket and some jeans.

"I'm sorry, apparently my genes didn't get the memo about the built in furnaces that Northerners are supposed to have," Bella replied dryly. Laurence let out a small bubble of laughter before climbing out of the car and heading toward the trunk. She sighed, opening the door to let Asher hop out first, landing in the slushy snow and dirt. The cold nipped at her cheeks as she closed the old, creaky door and joining Laurence. He reached into the trunk, which was covered in protection symbols, handing Bella her leather satchel and a shotgun.

"Silver knife?" Laurence asked, pulling some weapons into his own duffel bag.

"Check." She put the sling over her head and let the gun hang loosely.

"Dead man's blood?"

"Syringe full."

"Silver bullets?"

"Whole clip," she said, patting the gun that was holstered at her side.

"Good," he said. Laurence lifted his wrist to check his watch. "It's about 4:30 right now... So let's split up for an hour and meet back here before the sun sets. If you run into any trouble-" he tossed Bella a walkie talkie, picked up one up for himself and held it up to his mouth. Laurence clicked the button on the side of his and Bella's came to life. "Just holler. Comprende?"

"Yes sir," she answered.

"If you see anything-"

"Don't engage. Wait for you."

"Good girl," he said, shouldering his duffel bag and rifle before closing the trunk. "I'll take the West side with all the troopers. I've still got some connections in the department so I can get past 'em if I need to. You take the East side. Follow the river up." Bella nodded, cocking her shotgun and starting to turn away from her caretaker. It was the first time Laurence was letting her hunt without him right at her side or keeping her held up in a motel room doing research whilst he did all the work. Laurence's hand found her shoulder and when she looked up at his face, she found a concerned expression. "Be careful, kiddo."

"You too old man," she said with a smile.

They started in their separate directions, until the only footsteps she heard were her own, sloshing through the slowly melting snow. Asher was a little ahead of her, occasionally sniffing at the ground and air. Bella's eyes swept every direction of the forest, wishing it'd been a little warmer so she could sink her toes into the Earth without getting frostbite. Her senses had always been good, and with some training they got even better. She didn't have super human hearing or smell or anything like that, but they were better than most people's.

She moved through the forest, examining the mostly bare trees, any color they had left in their leaves covered in a thin layer of snow. Birds chirped in the distance, twigs and other debris snapped under her boots, breaking the silence that she was currently a part of. There was a tiny knot of anxiety in her stomach but she did her best to ignore it. A slight calm came over her when she found the river, which wasn't even remotely close to freezing over, and followed it up.

Asher had an easier time maneuvering the landscape than she did, digging his claws into slippery terrain that tripped up Bella and moving up rocky terrain with ease. Every Time he made it to the top of somewhere and looked down at her, she gave him a dirty look. He just meowed in response and patiently waited for her.

It was a while before Bella found a flat piece of the mountain to take a break on. She leaned against one of the trees, and closed her eyes. She took in deep breaths of cold air that burned her throat and, despite the fact that she was still a bit cold, she was sweating. There was a path hidden under a mixture of debris that Bella guessed had been a part of the nature trail at one point in time. She watched Asher move past her, headed directly toward a roped off area where an enormous pile of rocks and dirt had poured onto the path. Rockslide. The area was famous for them. Bella watched her familiar sniff around.

"You find something Asher?" she asked, moving toward him. He sniffed the area some more he settled on a spot and started digging. She waited patiently, watching as he latched onto something and pulled it free. "What you got there?" she asked, crouching down. Asher slid down the dirt toward, and dropped it in her open hand. It was a circular, golden locket with a tiny pearl embedded in the center of a Tudor-like rose design. A black outline surrounded the rose and decorative black swirls added to the the intricacy of it. Bella moved it around in her hand, careful of the thin gold chain, to examine it for any names etched into it. Nothing. She tried to jab the nail on her thumb into the crease and open it. Nothing. "Huh, that's weird."

The walkie-talkie in her jacket pocket came to life, startling her and almost making her drop the necklace.

"Hey, you doin' alright?" Laurence asked.

Bella grabbed the device from the pocket and lifted it up to her mouth, "Yeah, everything's fine. Found an old rock slide but no evidence of a giant bat."

"No luck on my end either." Laurence sighed deeply on the other end. "Alright, we've still got time before the sun sets, go a little further."

"Yes sir," she said. She placed the device back into her jacket and looked over the locket once more. Bella stuck the piece of jewelry in the pocket of her jeans, rubbing Asher between the ears. "Good boy-"

The hair on the his back rose and his eyes locked on something behind her. Bella immediately rose to her feet a spun around, shotgun at the ready.

"Whoa! Whoa! Easy there tiger!" A woman who looked to be around Bella's age had her hands in the air and a fearful look in her eyes. She was shorter than her and dressed in some sneakers, black and pink yoga pants and matching workout tank tops. Her hair was brown, like her eyes, and pulled back into a ponytail even despite the shortness of it. She looked like a pixie. "What are you doing up here?"

"I could ask you the same," Bella said, watching the girl closely.

"I'm out for a run," she said.

"Dressed like that?"

"I'm an athlete. I'm training my body to handle different temperatures," the girl answered. Bella didn't lower her gun, Asher cautiously making his way over to her. The pixie's eyes watched the cat, looking a little unsure. "Oh, hey pretty kitty... Is she yours?"

"Yes," Bella said. "He's mine."

"Oh, so you're a pretty _boy_," she said, kneeling down and extending her hand. Asher sniffed her from a distance, fur standing as he backed up. "It's alright, I'm not gonna hurt you-"

_Ghost_, Asher said. Bella reacted instantly, finger pulling the trigger of the shotgun and hitting the girl square in the chest with rocksalt. She disappeared and the shot echoed through the forest, birds fleeing from the trees. There was a rumble from above her and she immediately knew what was about to happen. Bella swung the gun behind her and snatched up her cat, and bolting toward the edge slope she'd just climbed minutes before. The mountain rumbled louder as she slid down the rocky slope, moving as quickly as possible with her arms full.

Asher twisted and turned, pushing himself from her arms and landing on the ground gracefully. _Run! Don't worry about me! I'm right behind you_!, he said. Bella didn't fight him, rushing down the slope as fast as she could without losing her balance. The rockslide was right on her heels, threatening to crush her and her familiar. The bottom was in reach, she was almost there.

Bella skidded to a brief stop at the edge of a drop. If she climbed down, the rockslide would crush her, but if she jumped, she risked a broken limb. It wasn't even a contest. Asher lept from the small ledge just as she did, landing with much more grace than his master. Bella felt a pain shoot up her left leg, but her adrenaline allowed her to get up instantly and limp-run away from the slowing rockslide. She walked backwards, watching the dirt stream slow, coming to a stop a few feet from her.

A sigh of relief left her, "Thank you goddess." She limped toward the nearest tree and braced herself up against it. Through the waning adrenaline she could feel the pain of what could only be a sprained ankle. She slid to the floor, feeling the slushy snow sinking through her jeans. Asher rushed over to her and meowed, rubbing himself against her arm. She pet him, heavy breaths sending ice into lungs, and put her head against the bark of the tree.

It took her awhile to catch her breath, and the sun was sinking lower and lower in the sky. Pain surged from her ankle every time she tried to move it. She pulled the walkie talkie from her jacket and tried Laurence.

"Laurence," she said, sounding a little breathless. She waited a few seconds before she tried again. "Laurence."

Nothing, just static. Bella felt that anxious knot in her stomach emerge a in as she all the worst possibilities filled her mind. He could be dead, lost, in police custody-

"Bella?" Laurence's voice from the walkie-talkie. "Bella are you okay? I heard a loud noise from your side of the mountain. Sounded like a rock slide or something."

"It was... I came in contact with a ghost and... I shot it."

"A ghost?" he paused. "I haven't heard of any ghost sightings in this area... Anyways, you okay?"

"I think I have a sprained ankle but other than that I'm alright."

"Where are you?"

"I'm right next to the river, just follow it up."

"I'm on my way now, give me a few."

"Yes sir," Bella said. His voice didn't come through again, but she placed it next to her just in case. The forest had gotten darker within the time she'd tried to contact Laurence. Asher took the liberty of keeping watch from her side, eyes piercing through the darkness of the forest with ease. If it wasn't for the fact there was a giant killer bat somewhere in the forest and her sprained ankle, she might have been at peace.

Asher hissed loudly from her side, eyes locked on something next to her. Bella swung her gun around and pointed it at the subject.

"Wait!" a familiar voice said. It was the girl again. Bella cocked the gun and stared her down, about to pull the trigger. "Could you stop being trigger happy for one damn second and let me explain myself?"

"You're a ghost, why should I do that?"

"Because I'm not freakin' killing people?! I'm actually doing the opposite!" she said, doe-like eyes pleading for Bella to understand. The hunter considered her, listening to her cat's continuous growling from her side and seeing the look of innocence on the girls face.

She kept the gun on her but said, "Fine. Explain."

The ghost looked from Bella to the gun, realizing she wasn't going to let up. She relaxed her own posture, crossing her arms.

"My name is Audrey Richardson and I died in a rockslide two weeks ago," she said. "Ever since then I've been trying to keep people away from this side of the nature trail. That's what I was trying to do before you shot me with... With whatever is in that gun."

Bella looked over Audrey, trying to see if she was lying at all. There was nothing in her tone that indicated she was a malicious spirit or anything like that. A sigh left her and she lowered the gun, the ghost's face looking relieved.

"Rocksalt rounds," Bella said.

"What?"

"They're rocksalt rounds. Salt repels ghosts."

Audrey looked a little confused, eyebrows knitting together as she looked down at the injured hunter and said, "How do you know that?"

"It's my job to know that," Bella said. She didn't just go around telling people what she did for a living, especially with how easy people panic and lash out, but Audrey was dead and still walking the Earth. She had no room to argue.

"You... Hunt ghosts?"

"I hunt monsters," Bella said, though the word left a bitter taste in her mouth. "Things that go bump in the night and like to hurt people."

"Like vampires and werewolves? Mythical stuff?"

"And ghosts," she said. Audrey looked directly into Bella's eyes as though she'd said something hurtful.

"So... You're here for me?"

"What?" Bella asked. "No, I'm not here for you. I'm here for an Olitiau."

"An Oli-what?" Audrey asked, making a smile pull at Bella's lips.

"It's a giant man-eating bat thing."

"You're here for him?"

Bella's eyes locked on her, "You've seen it?"

"Yeah I've seen it," she said. "It's got a cave on the other side of the mountain. Likes to pick off people who camp out here."

Just then a loud screech echoed through the night air, a little too close for Bella's comfort. Her head snapped up to look at the sky but from where she was, she could see anything. Another screech, even closer than the previous one, made her pull herself to her feet.

"That's him," Audrey said in a grave tone.

"Freakin' fantastic," Bella commented, bringing the shotgun forward again. The flapping of wings overhead and Asher's loud hisses made her heart trees above them rustled and in a rush, a black mass dove into the trees and landed right in front of her. The Olitiau spread it's enormous deep red wings, and stood on it's legs. Bella stepped in front of Audrey instinctively, even despite the fact that she was dead. She guessed he was at least ten feet tall, and when he screamed it made her feel like her brain was about to turn to mush. His red eyes shimmered as he swiped at her with the hands on his wings. She dove out of the way just in time, his blow shattering the trunk of the tree she'd been sitting at.

"Watch out!" Audrey shouted.

Bella flipped onto her back and aimed at the bat, but just as she pressed the trigger the bat swatted the gun away from her and into the river. He brought down his hand and she narrowly rolled out of the way. The creature was quick though, bringing his other hand down to crush her. His hand was inches away from her when another loud gunshot filled her ears, knocking the bat back with so much force that he also went tumbling in the water. He screamed in agony, writhing around in the river as he scratched at the spot he'd been hit.

Laurence appeared from the darkness with his rifle at the ready. He let off two more shots, hitting the bat directly in the chest and helped Bella up. Asher joined her at her side.

"You alright kiddo?"

"Yes sir," she said.

But the happy reunion didn't last long. The Olitiau pulled itself from the water and let out another deafening scream, Bella and Laurence covering their ears. It crossed the space between them so quickly that Bella didn't even see it, and instead, felt a hard force hit her chest that sent her flying into a nearby tree. She hit it hard and fell forward into the wet dirt, sending her into a slight daze.

Another gunshot rang through the night followed by a shout from Laurence. Bella picked up her head to see her caretaker kneeling in front of the beast clutching his chest.

"Laurence," she said weakly, trying to pick herself up. She fell once more, feeling a nauseous feeling rise in her throat as she watched the creature. Audrey was frozen by the tree, unsure of what to do, especially considering she wasn't a physical being anymore.

A flash of black hit Laurence on the side of the face and he fell onto the forest floor hard.

"Laurence!" Bella shouted, pulling the pistol from her side and pointing it at the beast. She was met with the creature's screeching as it pulled Laurence from his place on the ground toward the river where he stretched his wings. Bella pushed herself up with as much strength as she could muster and let off a couple of rounds. One hit the bat directly in the wing, but it wasn't enough to stop it. The Olitiau gripped Laurence with its feet and launched itself into the sky.

"LAURENCE!" Bella cried.

But they were gone.


End file.
